"Of course, [a trade] fits with us just fine. We hate Josh Smith in Atlanta, and we fully understand if he hates it as well."

Dear Noam, I am a huge fan of your work, but please, please shut up. Atlanta absolutely cannot trade Smoove. I might be the only one, but I most definitely do not hate him. I love Josh Smith; I treasure him, in fact. Because think about it: Josh Smith is almost all we have.

We're not getting out of this maddening, middling mediocrity until the financial albatross that is Joe Johnson's contract comes off the books. (And maybe not even then because the ASG ownership is a walking debacle and a waking nightmare.) Not only is Joe the most overpaid "star" in the game, he's also by far the least entertaining. I have never vehemently disliked watching a good Hawks player before, or any Hawks player, really, but I really, really, hate watching Joe Johnson play basketball. He is the most thoroughly "blah" twenty-a-night guy of all time. Then there's good ol' Al Horford, who when healthy is so very good at his job, but it's all dirty work and grind, the kind of thing you deeply appreciate but can't really admire. I love the man, but he'll never be the recipient of breathless superlatives.

3 comments:

I totally agree....JSmoove is the best player on the team by far.....Joe sucks, contracts doesn't make you a star...i was born and raised in Atl and if they trade Josh I will never attend or support that ownership group...

Sorry, Smoove is more valuable to us now as a trade piece than a player. He still has a penchant to throw fits on the court and cost us. He whines about not being loved here, even though the fans do. And if he can't take the heat here for throwing up his famously ill-timed 13 footers, then when he goes to LA or Boston or NY or wherever he feels would better suit him, his face will melt. Sheesh, this is as laid back a sports town as he will ever be in. Unless he goes to a team with strong enough leaders to give him his define role of blocking and crazy slams, then he'll be getting the same heat elsewhere.

I say we sell him while his value is still high and blow the core up. Yes, that includes letting JJ go, either by fooling someone to take his contract or amnestying him and by shipping of Williams. The rest of our deals are for the most part 1 year deals. That frees up an awful lot of money for the FA pool this year.

Not true at all. Believe it or not, Josh IS the heart of this squad. Trading him mires the team in the epitome of nothing-ness for at least 5 years. He's been giving his heart to this team in the absence of Joe and Al. Even throwing up ill-advised shots, he's still better than 95% of the other 4's in the league...and still better than 90% of the other players in the league period.